1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable electronic video display devices and, more particularly to a hand held, microprocessor based device which, when used in conjunction with a personal computer (PC) having a peripherally connected mass storage device, such as a compact disc (CD) read only memory (ROM) device, simulates a book.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compact disc technology has gained wide acceptance in the art of digital audio recording and reproduction. More recently, compact discs have been used to store large quantities of digital data for access by personal computers. A single compact disc, for example, has the capacity to store a complete encyclopedia. Currently, there is avaliable on the market compact disc drives for connection to personal computers and the software for the control of the disc drives that make possible the very rapid random access of the data stored on a compact disc. One application on the market is a so-called desk set of reference books including a dictionary, thesaurus, and style manual recorded on compact disc for use as a writer's aid. In addition, a number of data bases, including Chemical Abstracts, are available on compact disc for off line searching using a personal computer.
The current applications for compact disc (CD) read only memories (ROMs) are both limited and expensive, and as long as the applications remain limited, the cost of the technology will remain high. In order to broaden significantly the appeal and use of CD ROMs, it is necessary to make the technology more user friendly and, in the process, make the use of the technology practical in more than library, archival and office applications. Only in this way will the true potential of this technology be realized.
Known in the prior art are various audio/visual educational systems which use video discs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,810 to Hon discloses an automated instruction game and retrieval system that utilizes a video disc and disc player. The Hon system includes a user command response unit that includes a liquid crystal display (LCD). One feature of the Hon system is that several students can be taught at different rates or that several shoppers can be served by a single video disc at the same time.
In an earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,345, Hon discloses a health education system for teaching cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A student reads visual information and views graphic scenes while interacting with a doll that has multiple sensors. The system coaches the student to perform the action properly.
U S. Pat. No. 4,159,417 to Rubincam discloses an electronic book wherein the contents of a book or magazine are digitally encoded onto a memory which is insertable in the book. The encoded information may then be displayed on the screen of the device. A similar disclosure may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,225 to Washizuka which describes a portable audio/visual electronic apparatus with insertable memory units.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,469 to Oliver et al. discloses an activated child's book or greeting card which is powered by solar cells. U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,081 to Wilbur discloses examples of foldable, illuminated greeting cards wherein light emitting diodes (LEDs) are positioned on a printed circuit board to illuminate a message when the card is opened. U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,659 to Yokoi et al. shows a foldable LCD used for electronic game devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,193 to Haynes discloses a reading tutor device which coordinates the reading of textual material with an audio presentation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,222 to Smith et al. discloses a hand held electronic game playing device with replaceable cartridges and user operated switches which allow games to be played. U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,859 to Corso discloses a viewer for displaying information recorded on printed tape.
While the foregoing prior art generally describe various portable and/or educational type devices, some of which incorporate pluggable memory devices, none addresses the problem of providing a user friendly interface for the access of the very large databases potentially available on CD ROMs.